Pharmacists concerned about prescription drug shortages
MEDICINE HAT – Several pharmacies across Canada are sounding the alarm over prescription drug shortages.
And one local pharmacist says the problem could get worse.
“The drug shortages are bad now, but now with the new pricing structure, they’re going to get worse,” says Greg Bueckert, a practising pharmacist for the past 43 years.
In January, the Pan Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association announced a deal to lower the prices of more than 70 generic drugs, which takes effect on April 1. One of the new regulations for prices is that a drug containing a certain amount of molecules will now be priced at 10 per cent of the brand name equivalent.